A Fresh Start

Dean (the founder) of Hilltop Urban Gardens (HUG) moved to Tacoma in 2008 to the Hilltop neighborhood, the land of the Puyallup people. They learned the history of the neighborhood – it was a ‘red line’ community that had suffered much trauma from violence, gangs, incarceration, and 2014 to currently -gentrification. They took a master gardening course, feeling called to work with the earth and the land. They believe where there has been trauma, there is blood in the earth, and by connecting and working with the earth, we find healing. They started gardening and growing food in the neighborhood, on the sidewalk strips, and sharing the produce with the neighbors. This was the start of what would become HUG.

 

When Dean attended the US Social Forum in Detroit, they met and were inspired by other groups doing powerful food justice and food sovereignty work. The call they already felt for starting something similar was catalyzed by the bold and powerful work of these organizations. Dean wrote a proposal for a grant to the Social Justice Fund, to create a community-based agriculture, justice, and equity organization. When the grant came through, they saw it as the validation and blessing from the Spirit that birthed HUG. Dean left a legacy in the Hilltop Neighborhood that would continue beyond their service to the organization and community.